


Feels like magic (When I'm with you)

by ScorpionMauve



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Bruises, Getting to Know Each Other, Help, M/M, Mentionned Abuse, Multi, Running Away, Shapeshifting, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24544198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorpionMauve/pseuds/ScorpionMauve
Summary: Hyunjin used to love spending warm afternoons cuddled up in his favourite armchair, behind the shop's counter, or having fun arranging the supplies they sold in different orders every other day.Recently, those hobbies hadn't disappeared, but he had found a new favourite one, which was doting on creatures.Especially estranged ferrets with strange angry men looking for them.~Boyfriend shop owners Hyunjin, Changbin and Minho get a new addition to their family.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Minho | Lee Know/Seo Changbin, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Minho | Lee Know/Seo Changbin/Kim Seungmin
Comments: 7
Kudos: 76





	Feels like magic (When I'm with you)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [So... You're A Chanwitch?](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17330366) by [TheSwingbyJeanHonoreFragonard](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSwingbyJeanHonoreFragonard/pseuds/TheSwingbyJeanHonoreFragonard). 



> Staying passive is never an option when lives are on the line.  
> Indifference is not enough.  
> Act.  
> [Link to the BLM carrd](https://blacklivesmatter.carrd.co/)

Owning a shop was a lot of work, that was for sure : dealing with cranky customers, cleaning, arranging, accounting... Still, the perks were numerous as well. Being together for most of the day, deciding your own work hours, being able to decorate however you pleased, having some fun over -and under- the counter… Getting sidetracked, my bad.

The trio had owned the little boutique for a while now, ever since the oldest finished his apprenticeship. The other two moved in with him after they finished their own studies, a year and a half later. 

The shop stood in a small alleyway on the outskirts of the city, close to the golden forest. From the exterior, it didn’t look like much, just an old, dark wooden facade with large clean windows framed by countless plants.

Stepping inside, you would discover a contrasting atmosphere with light tones and a gentle feel. The main birch wood shelves supported beautifully sorted jars full of things of all types : from dried herbs to colorful powders, going through chiseled crystals and brushed fur.

Behind the counter, pushed to the side, rested a tall, large and puffy armchair. Its striped blue and white pattern looked worn down, as it had been used for quite a few years now. 

Even further back, against the wall, stood vials behind a glass panel. Bubbling here and swirling there, no liquid looked the same as another one. A pearly mint in an elegant tall bottle, a deep viscous purple in a small teardrop glass or a matte orange with a few bubbles coursing through, the choices were endless. 

Against the wall floated steps, up to the mezzanine floor where the books were. Stored on bookshelves all around, sorted by subject during one of the many nights the shortest owner stayed awake. A large round window allowed light to enter, and in the evening, it fell on the teal sofa, perfect for a warm nap. Over the railing, you could look down on the lower floor and see half of the place.

The owners lived in the apartment connected to the boutique, which could be accessed through the back room. The small living area consisted of a bedroom, the bathroom and the main space. The kitchen opened into the living room in order to make the place look larger. It wasn’t much for three people, but it was comfortable and handy. Most of all, it was theirs and they loved it.

Hyunjin and Minho had met years ago, when they were still in high school, thanks to their mutual sibling friends, Chan and Felix. They started texting one another and it only took a year for them to fall in love. However, none of them acted on it and Minho graduated, two years prior to the other. 

Three months passed and he went overseas for the first year of his apprenticeship, in order to teach him how to get by in a new environment. That meant that he couldn’t see Hyunjin for a whole year and the distance hurt them both deeply. The first thing he did when he saw him waiting at the airport was to hug him tightly, before cupping his face and asking in the gentlest voice Hyunjin ever heard : “Can I kiss you ?” The answer was obviously yes and they then started dating.

Changbin came in a bit later, as the youngest met him during his university studies. Hyunjin studied creatures, magical or not, while the older did document magic. They started talking after Changbin found the other’s dog, Kkami. Well, it wasn’t exactly his dog as he was supposed to demonstrate his ability to take care of an animal. He had to give it back at the end of his studies.

The younger’s affection slowly but steadily grew until it wasn’t just an ignorable puppy crush. He had a talk with his boyfriend, who admitted to his own feelings for the short witch. They decided to invite him on a date with the promise to make him comfortable and he agreed. It went fantastically : they took the eldest’s car and drove to the beach, picnicked on the sand, splashed in the sea and admired the sunset when it came. Changbin joined the relationship like they had always been together.

Of course, like any partners, they fought sometimes. Like when Changbin didn’t put away his clothes, letting them litter the floor, or when Hyunjin left one of his spikes in the comforter because he had shifted on the bed, or when Minho almost forgot to go to their graduation, being entirely focused on the potion he was making. 

They always made up in the end, apologizing and showing each other how much they cared. The trio didn’t always end up in the bedroom after one of those arguments, they also stopped in the living room sometimes. Mostly, they cuddled all together, kissing, hugging and holding one another.

It sometimes ended with a bit of pain, as Hyunjin turned on accident. Arguing always made him tense and that was one of his ways to decompress. The older two didn’t mind his hedgehog form, finding him rather cute, unless he stabbed them with one of his many spikes.

That was a talent he had learned as a child, one of the first manifestations of his magic. He used it to sneak around and away from his house before his parents found out. After that point, they started watching him more closely, restricting his free time. Moving out for university, to which the journey lasted for at least three hours, was the best thing that happened to him -besides his boyfriends obviously.

Minho liked to have him laying close by when he worked on some potion. His favorite spot was either one of the older men’s laps -or both- or the blue armchair behind the counter. If you looked for him during the hours when the shop was open and empty, you would find him there, Changbin cleaning up or reading if he didn’t work on some commission.

They had a nice little routine that satisfied them all, spending time together in the shop, going on a couple errands every other day, friends dropping by to buy or sell some products, helping people find what they needed and give advice to any lost soul that wandered in. And lost souls there were, there was even a time when an actual spirit came in.

* * *

Talking about spirits, Hyunjin felt a soul enter the shop. He had been lounging in his armchair for a couple hours, now the warm and calm middle of the afternoon. He felt half happy to finally have a distraction, half deceived that his tranquility came to an end.

He couldn’t see much as a hedgehog, but his hearing could pick up much more than humans and his nose was sensitive enough to decipher without a doubt the ingredients Minho was manipulating currently. What he liked to rely on the most wasn’t any of those two, but rather his ability to sense living beings. 

He shifted back, slumped upside down on the chair, only to slip out of it. A loud dull thump resounded in the shop along with his whine. Changbin’s voice rang out from the mezzanine floor, where he had been doing heaven knows what for hours.

“You alright, Jinnie ?"

Hyunjin hummed as he flipped onto his stomach.

"Just peachy, hyung !”

He got upright and on his feet, cursing his clumsiness for making him look like an idiot. He moved out from behind the counter and started looking for whoever came in a minute ago. Throwing a quick glance in each aisle, he didn’t see anyone. Maybe they went back out when they heard him fall ? He still felt the presence though, that meant they hadn’t left. Why would they sneak around then ? Were they ill-intentioned ? A shiver ran down Hyunjin’s back.

He stepped into the center aisle, surrounded by the tall shelves on each side of him. The only sound he could hear was his own breathing and the clacking of his shoes on the flooring. He called out quietly, which in retrospect, didn’t seem like the smartest approach.

“Is anyone here ?”

A quiet screech reached his ears, making him wince. That couldn’t be a human. He looked around the corner where he heard the sound come from. A small furry animal scuttered away as it caught him at the side of its vision. He kneeled down, trying to make himself less intimidating. 

“Hey there, little one. I’m not going to hurt you, see ?”

He extended his hand to let the animal smell him. A tiny wet nose bumped into his finger, coming out from under a shelf. Hyunjin barely retained a happy wiggle that could scare it, as it slid out from its hiding spot. The ferret, because it was one, pressed its furry body against his short clad leg.

“Hi, sweetheart, what are you doing here ?”

He kept his voice soft, considering how jumpy the creature appeared to be. He stood up carefully, walking back towards the counter. He almost told it to follow him, but it did on its own, staying next to his feet.

The man led the animal to the armchair, making it settle down curled in on himself. Hyunjin looked at it, wondering why, and how, it came in the shop. As he thought, lightly caressing its brown fur, a man barged in with a shout.

“Kid !”

The ferret jumped up on its paws, hair raised and teeth bared. Hyunjin wrapped it in the blanket it stood on and put it down on the shelf under the counter. He murmured to it, in order to calm it down.

“Don’t move, little one, I’ll be back in a couple minutes.”

He stood back up, facing the angrily stomping man. His tightly pulled together lips showed his sour mood.

“Have you seen a ferret come in here ? He ran away from me and I can’t find him.”

Hyunjin put on his best innocent face, shaking his head softly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see anything. How would a ferret even enter ? It can’t open a door, can it ?

The witch raised a confused eyebrow, thanking god silently for the theater classes he had taken in the past.

“With those little rascals, you never know.”

The strange man turned around with a grunt and went back on the street, looking for the animal. Hyunjin got down on his knees again, facing the shivering furry noodle.

“You’re safe now, he’s gone. He won’t hurt you, alright ? I’ll protect you, cutie.”

The ferret squealed quietly, hiding in the blanket.

“Jinnie ?”

The call of his name attracted the boy’s attention, who looked up at his boyfriend, leaning over the barrier. His hair stood up in cute peaks and the round glasses that Hyunjin loved sat on his nose.

“You totally lied to that guy, didn’t you ? I heard the ferret.”

Changbin had always had good hearing, surely picking up on his previous whispers.

“Yeah, I did. He gave me really bad vibes, ferret baby doesn’t deserve that. By the way, can you take care of the shop for a little bit ? I wanna check on him and that guy might come back and see if I stay here.”

Even from the distance, Hyunjin saw the endeared smile on his boyfriend’s face.

“Sure, let me just bring my things down.”

He moved back, away from the rail to gather whatever he was doing. The younger picked up the bundle of blankets carefully.

“I’m gonna see if you’re alright, tiny, okay ? And then I’ll give you some food and let you rest.”

The short man came down, a large pile of books precariously stacked in his arms. He walked all the way down to the floor before putting what he carried on the counter.

“That’s a lot of things.”

Hyunjin noted quietly, as he observed Changbin walk around to replace him.

“I’m working on those, don’t make fun of me.”

The taller of the two couldn’t retain a giggle at his whining. Changbin was just that cute.

“I’m not, precious.”

He pecked Changbin on his adorable rosy nose and turned around, walking through the door to the back room. In there, a soft flowery smell floated, coming from the gently bubbling potion in the cauldron on the stove. Minho stood a few meters away, chopping up some herbs. He lifted his head when he heard Hyunjin enter, a large smile on his face.

“Hey there, darling. How was your nap ?”

He shuffled over, pressing a kiss to the younger’s cheekbone, who in return laid his head on his shoulder. His arms protectively surrounded the blanket in order not to crush the animal.

“Was good. Got a little visitor I want to look over.”

He showed Minho the bundle in his arms, who cooed at the sight. He turned around, clearing half of the counter from paper piles and such mess.

“Here you go.”

Hyunjin pressed a kiss to his cheek lovingly.

“Thank you, kitty hyung.”

The older man giggled and went back to his chopping while Hyunjin put down the ferret. He let it stay on the blanket while examining it carefully. It was a long boy, however not very weighty. He supposed he was not very well fed. Looking at his teeth, he estimated him to be a young ferret, a bit less than a year old. His fur looked patchy in some places, falling when he caressed it.

“Poor little noodle, your owner was not a good one.”

Minho peeked over from his spot next to Hyunjin, where he had gone back to preparing herbs for an upcoming potion.

“What’s the problem ?”

Hyunjin sighed deeply, heart torn at the animal’s mistreatment. He hated seeing any creature in pain.

“He’s malnourished. I’m gonna try to find him something to eat from the fridge.”

The witch turned around to go up the spiral staircase but felt something attached to the back of his pant leg. He looked down and sure enough, the ferret had attached himself there. He started climbing up until Hyunjin took him in his hands and put him on his shoulder.

“Going with me then.”

He went upstairs and started looking through the fridge.

“Sooo, meat, meat, meat…”

Hyunjin settled on a piece of raw chicken, that he cut up into little pieces and gave to the animal. He ate it happily and even drank from a small bowl they had. He let him splash in a bigger bowl after, in which the water turned a murky brown. What sort of shitty owner had the poor baby had ?

“You were a stinky noodle. Let’s dry you now and then you can rest. Sounds good ?”

The animal let out a couple dooks which made Hyunjin smile.

“Great !”

The ferret slid out and let himself be patted dry by the human, who then carried him to the bedroom. After closing the door, he laid down carefully, looking at the animal run around the mattress large enough to fit the three boyfriends. He rested his head on the pillow and the ferret came to settle, spread out against his chest.

“Rest well, Noodle, I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

* * *

Changbin closed up the shop around half past seven. A few customers had come in since he took over the counter and they left satisfied, which made him happy. Minho had brought in a couple potions that had been made and arranged them on the shelves behind the counter.

When the short witch was done with cleaning, he went in the back room, where the older did the accounting for the day. Coming up behind Minho, he wrapped his arms around his torso, chin resting on his shoulder.

“Oh, hi honey. I’m almost done with that, I’ll start the food in about ten minutes. Ah, and could you go check up on Hyunjin ? He went upstairs with the little ferret and hasn’t come back down. He’s probably resting, could you wake him up so that he can sleep tonight ?”

Changbin hummed as he sent a glance to the steps leading to the apartment.

“Sure thing, hyungie.”

The man kissed the soft round cheek before skipping to the stairs. He climbed up them and looked around the open living room and kitchen area. As the oldest said, Hyunjin couldn’t be seen. He knocked softly on the door to the bedroom.

“Jinnie, you awake ?”

He received no answer so he added a few words.

“I’m coming in.”

You never knew what new predicament Hyunjin could find himself into, but that one he wouldn’t even have been able to imagine. The tall boy was definitely there, laying adorably on their shared bed. The thing is that someone else rested there with him.

A lanky person curled up into his side, blanket haphazardly thrown over them, barely covering their seemingly naked form. What shocked Changbin the most wasn’t the fact that his boyfriend was in a bed with some naked stranger, but the bruises littering the pale skin that stretched painfully tight over bones.

“Um… Dear ? Could you come up ?”

Minho arrived behind him in a time that he couldn’t count, staring at the young person. He heard a gasp next to his ear as his boyfriend took in the sight as well. He didn’t waste time and started shuffling through the dresser, taking out a big hoodie and sweatpants. He sat at the end of the bed and shook the stranger’s shoulder gently.

Their closely shaved head turned back, eyes wide, and they moved away from Minho’s hand. They looked around, seemingly taking in the sight of the room before all but standing up, running for the door. Changbin blocked them, the look of unadulterated terror on the youthful face surprising him.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, don’t move. He’s just trying to give you clothes, alright ?”

Minho held out the clothing in front of him as proof, but the kid didn’t move, tense all over. When the oldest put them down as close as he could, they rushed for them, slipping the fabric on before retreating to another corner of the room.

Hyunjin opened his eyes, brought awake by the sound in the room. He patted around the bed in search of the ferret he had been looking over, before realising that something wasn’t normal. 

Why were both of his boyfriends and some teen with a hood pulled over their head in the room ? And wasn’t that his own hoodie ? And Minho’s sweatpants ?

“What the hell’s happening here ?”

Hyunjin sat up briskly, suddenly very much awake.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

The youngest of the boyfriends stared at the unknown person, who had a long face, big wide eyes, small pouty lips and shallow cheeks. He felt the room in order to sense his soul, but he couldn’t find one he didn’t already know. That meant…

Hyunjin crawled closer to the silhouette, staying on the bed and looking more closely at them.

“Noodle ?”

Their head snapped up, brown eyes staring at his face with surprise, lips slightly parted. The other two watched the exchange, confused.

“Is that it? Are you the ferret ?”

They nodded slowly, looking back down. Hyunjin saw their mouth move, but couldn’t hear the words. He got on the floor and went next to them, on his knees to look less intimidating.

“Could you repeat that ?”

“I’m Seungmin. I’m a boy.”

His voice sounded terribly soft, quiet and scratchy. As if he hadn’t talked in a while. Hyunjin answered at the same level of quietness.

“Hello Seungmin. I’m Hyunjin, I’m a boy too, and these are my boyfriends, Minho and Changbin.”

He pointed towards them even though he wasn’t sure Seungmin looked at them.

“I would like to help you. If you’d let me.”

The boy asked with a croaky voice.

“Why ?”

The taller man blinked, taken aback by the question. Hyunjin held out his hand in front of the other.

“Because you’re hurt and I think I could help you. And I also think that shapeshifters should stick together, right?”

Seungmin looked at him with confused eyes, unable to process the information.

“Shapesh… I don’t have anything to pay you back with.”

He retreated back into the hood, hiding as much as was possible.

“The only thing I’m asking for is for you to trust me. That’s all I want.”

His hand waited, still open and promising in front of Seungmin. It took him a moment, but he placed his own palm in Hyunjin’s.

“Alright…”

The witch’s heart leaped with joy.

“Thank you.”

He pulled the boy up gently, motioning for the older two to leave the room. They did, Hyunjin and Seungmin moving to sit on the bed.

“You ran away from that man, didn’t you ?”

He received a small nod as an answer. Hyunjin wanted nothing more than to bring him into a hug, hold him tightly and tell him everything would be okay. He couldn’t, though, considering how hard Seungmin flinched every time he as much as bent his fingers.

“I’m so sorry. You’re safe now, we’ll protect you. He won’t lay a single finger on you ever again.”

Seungmin shook his head energetically.

“Don’t. You’ll get hurt.”

Hyunjin smiled sadly at the words. How badly did he want to caress his head reassuringly ?

“Nah, he will. He’ll learn not to mess with witches soon enough. Especially those who protect animals. That’s me. I’ll beat him up if he only just looks at you.”

The boy began shivering, attracting Hyunjin’s attention. He wrapped his arms around himself and brought his legs up against his chest.

“Are you cold ? Scared ? Both ?”

The witch inquired, trying to pinpoint the feeling bothering the young shapeshifter.

“Kinda cold, bu- but I’m fine.”

Hyunjin stood suddenly, startling the other. He took out another sweater, one that was larger, and a blanket from the top of the closet. 

“Arms up.”

Seungmin wanted to protest, but he didn’t, obeying quietly. He was used to it, after all. Once the article of clothing had been smoothed down over his chest, Hyunjin gently wrapped the comforter around his shoulders.

“Better ?”

Seungmin’s words were so quiet that the witch barely heard them.

“Thank you.”

They sat there for a while, Hyunjin stealing glances at the other shapeshifter, who didn’t notice, as he was staring straight down at his hands. He examined the hollow cheeks, protruding cheekbones, gentle slope of the nose, semi-closed eyes and raw lips. 

Seungmin could definitely be considered attractive, but he seemed so lifeless, so empty… So dead. Hyunjin wanted to bring joy to him again, see his smile, hear his laugh. Make him happy.

A soft knock echoed on the door, bringing them out of their thoughts, before a voice reached their ears.

“Food is ready, if you want to eat.”

The person retreated, footsteps shuffling away. Hyunjin looked at Seungmin, eyes soft.

“Are you hungry ? I know I gave you some food earlier, but that was a while ago.”

At the small nod, he continued, standing up slowly.

“Do you want to join us at the table or eat here ? I can also stay with you if it would make you more comfortable.”

Seungmin thought for a bit, before starting a sentence.

“Will you…”

He hesitated, eyes shooting up to Hyunjin’s face before going back down. The witch encouraged him with a soft hum.

“Will you act weird if I come with you ?”

Hyunjin tilted his head in confusion.

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

Seungmin bit his lip softly, looking like he would give up his question, but Hyunjin gestured for him to keep going.

“If I eat at the table with you three… Will I make it awkward ? Because I don’t want that to happen, don’t treat me like I’m helpless or a ticking bomb or something.”

Finally understanding, the witch shook his head. Still, he couldn’t help but worry about what the boy had gone through to think this way.

“No, of course not. We won’t do anything to make you uncomfortable.”

Seungmin stood slowly, the blanket slipping from his shoulders. He offered Hyunjin a weak smile.

“Let’s go, then.”

With a nod, Hyunjin led him out of the bedroom. In the living room spread a delicious aroma that made Seungmin’s stomach growl. He blushed softly at the giggles that followed, which in return made Hyunjin coo more. He mumbled a soft “stop” that brought him a quiet apology.

Minho invited Seungmin to sit down as he and Changbin put the dishes down on the table. He stared at the chairs, unsure of where to go, until Hyunjin motioned him over, patting the seat next to him. He obeyed quietly, settling on the chair.

“I made something simple because I don’t know what you like. Is pasta with tuna okay ? I can make something else for you if you’d prefer.”

Seungmin hurriedly shook his head, as if scared he’d get reprimanded if he caused any trouble.

“Oh no, don’t bother, it’s fine, that sounds great.”

Minho smiled, taking Seungmin’s plate to put pasta in it. After piling a hefty amount on top, he put it back down, switching to Changbin’s. The tall man leaned towards the second shapeshifter.

“You don’t have to eat all of it, hyung just likes to make people eat a lot, and you’re very skinny…”

Changbin began eating as soon as he received his plate, but Seungmin continued waiting for everyone to have gotten their food. When Hyunjin and Minho both started bringing pasta to their mouths, he carefully imitated them. 

Seungmin ate slowly, as he wasn’t very good with chopsticks. His owner barely even gave him a plate, usually, so utensils were out of the question. He managed to not drop food everywhere though, just plopping back in his plate instead of on the table.

The three boyfriends talked about their day, Seungmin simply listening as he ate. When he had first seen the amount of food on his plate, he had worried that he wouldn’t be able to go through it all. However, he was proved wrong when he looked down to see it completely empty. He couldn’t deny Minho’s skills in cooking.

As the others finished as well but didn’t stop chatting, Seungmin piled the plates carefully, balancing the chopsticks on top. He brought them to the counter, placing them next to the sink. 

Changbin only noticed the teenager had left the table when he heard the water running from the faucet. Looking down, Seungmin rinsed and washed the plates, trying to be as quiet as possible.

“Seungmin ?”

The boy froze, head turning to the side like a kid who had been caught eating snacks before dinner. All the men stared at him, making him retreat in on himself.

“You don’t have to wash them, I was going to.”

Instead of the disappointment and anger he was expecting to see in the three boyfriends’ eyes, there only was a great sadness.

“I’m sorry, I just…”

Seungmin hadn’t even thought about it, just a habit that had been drilled into his head for the last ten years of his life. His mouth left open in search of words, he didn’t notice Hyunjin coming up to him.

“Hey, it’s fine, don’t apologize. You just don’t have to do that, okay ?”

And Seungmin nodded quietly as Hyunjin’s hands slid down his forearms to grab his fingers.

* * *

Just like that, Seungmin was added to Minho, Hyunjin and Changbin’s lives. The boy, as they learned, was much younger than them, only eighteen, but after a few rough first weeks, he finally began feeling comfortable with them. 

Quite obviously, the boy appeared to be most comfortable with Hyunjin. Whether it was due to the fact that he was the closest in age or that he was a shapeshifter as well, it didn’t matter. He could often be found just curled up on Hyunjin’s lap, around his neck or in his pocket if they were deep enough.

Even though Seungmin was a little more awkward with the other two, he still hung around them at times, watching as Minho mixed a potion or Changbin scribbled down on paper, bent over a book. He liked just observing them quietly for hours, not disturbing them in any way, just studying their movements.

The shifter’s bruises had almost completely disappeared and he had begun to put on more weight thanks to the witches being amazing cooks. His hair grew soft and silky, not very long yet but definitely better than his previously shaved scalp. 

He had slept on the couch for a few days and, despite it being more comfortable than anything that had ever been a bed to him, the trio had bought a mattress for him. At first, Seungmin had protested, because their apartment couldn’t really afford to house one more bed, but they made it work.

One of their friends, a witch whose specialty was space, came over. Seungmin was in the back room with Minho when Chan did his job, but when he came back upstairs, there was a new door next to the dining table. Hyunjin skipped to it happily, prompting Seungmin to open it.

The boy did, and was met with the sight of an entirely new room, with soft orange walls and a bed in the corner. The rest of it was empty, which Hyunjin apologized for, but Seungmin was over the moon. He took the older man’s hand and clasped it tightly.

As small sobs racked through his thin body, Hyunjin pulled him to his chest gently, caressing the back of his head. Seungmin clung to him for an hour, not wanting to let go. The taller man didn’t care about his shirt getting stretched if that meant Seungmin would feel better.

That incident made him realize how touch-starved he was and how contact could feel good instead of painful. Therefore, the boy started getting clingier and more touchy as the days passed. It started with only Hyunjin, but the feeling of Minho’s hand sliding on his waist as he walked around him, or the gentle press of Changbin’s chest against his back while he looked over his shoulder were enough to make him melt.

From then on, Seungmin didn’t sit on the lone armchair when they watched movies anymore, instead going to cuddle with the other men on the couch that used to be his bed. He loved being wrapped up in a blanket, hands lying in his hair, around his waist, on his legs.

Their hands weren’t hard, they weren’t aggressive. They didn’t hurt or bruise, prod or hurt. They were gentle, caring, soft. They caressed, soothed, calmed. They felt so nice that Seungmin often found himself falling asleep there.

Sometimes he woke up in his own bed, having been carried there to avoid sleeping on the cramped couch. Other times, he did spend the night in the living room as none of the others had resisted their heavy eyelids. Finally, more rarely, he ended up cuddled in the middle of the witches’ bed, them surrounding him.

Seungmin wouldn’t admit it for anything, but that situation was definitely his favorite. No one had ever cared for him like they did, held him close when he didn’t feel good, treated him with so much care and kindness that he wanted to cry.

Seungmin was so thankful to have met them, they had definitely turned his life on its heels. He wanted to repay them. He knew he’d find a way to somehow, they had quite a while in front of them, didn’t they ?

**Author's Note:**

> Twitter : [@lacyjunnie](https://twitter.com/lacyjunnie)


End file.
